Amazon's Vikings Invade Europe

New History Channel hit will stream before it broadcasts.

It's been years -- centuries, really -- since Viking longships were last sighted off the shores of Britain. But they're coming back, and this time, they have Amazon.com(NASDAQ:AMZN) as an ally.

On Friday, Amazon announced that its European LOVEFiLM subsidiary is teaming up with MGM(NYSE:MGM) Television to bring the hit new History Channel television show VIKINGS to viewers in the U.K., and Germany as well. Beginning May 24, LOVEFiLM will be the only service offering streaming video of all nine episodes of Vikings' first seasonto viewers in the U.K. and Germany. (Season 2 is scheduled to arrive in 2014). Additionally, Amazon points out that it will be streaming the show through LOVEFiLM before Vikings even goes into broadcast in Europe.

History Channel is a property of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Corporation and Disney's (NYSE:DIS) ABC.

MGM has the international distribution rights to Vikings outside the U.S., Canada, and Ireland.

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